CCB307 Digital Advertising and Public Relations Capstone

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2025, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

This capstone unit prepares work-ready graduates by developing students’ adaptive capabilities to thrive in the ever-changing professions of advertising and public relations. It integrates prior knowledge of advertising and/or public relations theories, research, industry trends, and skills of contemporary professional practices required in a convergent digital media and communication world. Through classwork, independent study, and engagement with real-world projects, students develop an understanding of the local and international relevance of their chosen studies, with opportunities to produce a range of communication outcomes as applied and engagement projects that works to advance employability. This unit offers an opportunity for students to attempt the kind of work they admire in industry, in the process creating a communication portfolio and an issue-based strategy plan that reflects the cumulative learning from their degree and mastery of their chosen discipline/major.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Apply discipline-specific theories and industry trends to produce original communication outputs that align with practice exemplars in advertising and public relations
2. Utilise design-thinking methods to develop a research-driven and data-informed strategic plan to creatively address an issue faced by a chosen, real-world client/organisation
3. Integrate cultural awareness, professional efficiency, critical creativity, ethical and legal implications into advertising and public relations practices
4. Work independently and/or collaboratively as part of a team by contributing to and reflecting on the progress towards meeting team objectives

Content

Learning Approaches

Your learning in this unit will include lectures, tutorials and self-study. Tutorials will focus on theories, authentic contexts and discipline-specific methods, real-world application, readings, online resources, industry mentoring and shadowing (e.g., assign an academic supervisor or experienced practitioner as a mentor whom the student can learn from or approach for advice). Through self-directed, team-based, and problem-based learning strategies requiring active participation in class and professional contexts, students learn to reflect and value ethical and intellectual conduct as well as respect for diversity and social justice principles. You will be expected to complete any prescribed self-study, including readings out of class, and in preparation for subsequent classes.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Feedback in this unit is provided in the following ways:

• Formative feedback from peers, academics, and industry experts/mentors on the learning process and performance
• Summative feedback on assessment work in addition to criteria sheets in oral and/or written forms
• Continuing feedback on students’ career aspiration and planning

Assessment

Overview

There are two assessments to help students build portfolios while learning to solve a real-world communication challenges/problems by beautifully wrapping smart strategies in provocative, layered, and actionable ideas.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Creative Portfolio

Students will produce a portfolio consisting of three original communication products (e.g., poster, publicity stunt, media release) that highlight their natural talents and emphasise their newly developed strengths to help them find a job in their area of expertise, either advertising or public relations. Each communication output should be accompanied with rationale of efficiency and creativity.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Assessment: Strategy Plan

Students work in a small team to develop a strategic plan responding to a current issue faced by a chosen, real-world client, ranging from governments, corporations, not-for-profits, civic organisations, and community groups. Built on academic and industry research, this strategy plan should conduct a situational analysis of the focal issue, which informs the strategic plan outlining the intended audiences, communication objectives, strategies, and tactics to address the problem and make recommendations for delivering sustained values for organisations, society, and culture.

The strategy plan should also contain the team members’ self-reflection on their Capstone project process and experience within both academic and professional/industry contexts.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.

The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Requirements to Study

Requirements

All students are requested to visit and review the Health and Safety information on the HiQ web pages.

You will be advised if a unit requires additional mandatory health and safety inductions.  

Resources

Resource Materials

Other

To enable your full participation in units that utilise virtual learning environments, for example participating in online activities and engaging with online learning materials, you will need access to a reliable computer with an internet connection, webcam, headset and microphone, as well as a learning environment where you are able to fully participate undisturbed when required. 

Risk Assessment Statement

For risks associated with using campus buildings or QUT facilities, refer to the HiQ Health and Safety information.

You are advised to take regular rest breaks when engaging in prolonged computer-based work and ensure that your workstation is set up for optimal comfort to prevent strain or injury.

Please be advised that this unit may include the presentation and scholarly analysis of material and subject matters that may be considered confronting, such as certain representations of race, class, gender and violence. QUT counselling support is available should you feel the need to avail yourself of these services.

Course Learning Outcomes

KC40 Bachelor of Communication

1. Demonstrate capacity to understand and critique the historical, cultural, technological, and regulatory implications of digital media, entertainment, communication, and news industries.
   Relates to: ULO1, Creative Portfolio
2. Demonstrate capacity to engage with and apply specialised knowledge of one or more areas of digital media, entertainment, communication, and news industries, including the relationship between disciplinary theory, research methodologies, and professional practice.
   Relates to: ULO2, Strategy Plan
3. Demonstrate capacity to engage with and apply diverse ways of knowing the world in local and global contexts, including Indigenous Knowledge and Perspectives.
   Relates to: ULO3, Creative Portfolio
4. Demonstrate effective communication skills with the ability to adapt strategies across different media and professional settings and for diverse audiences.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO3, Creative Portfolio
5. Critically analyse, evaluate and synthesise complex forms of information and evidence to inform decision-making, problem solving and argumentation.
   Relates to: ULO2, Strategy Plan
6. Critically interrogate the economic and cultural power of digital media, communication, entertainment, and news to make ethical, sustainable, and inclusive contributions to diverse workplaces, communities, and audiences.
   Relates to: ULO3, Creative Portfolio
7. Demonstrate critical digital literacy skills across diverse platforms and technologies, including familiarity with analytic tools to effectively and responsibly interpret data in the media, communication, and news industries.
   Relates to: ULO2, Strategy Plan
8. Create authentic and professional-quality communication outputs that reflect an application of academic content, critical thinking skills, and social awareness.
   Relates to: ULO1, Creative Portfolio
9. Identify, develop, and sustain effective and responsible leadership strategies and teamwork skills that generate value for yourself and others.
   Relates to: ULO4, Strategy Plan
10. Identify, develop, and sustain effective professional networks in the media and communication industries.
    Relates to: ULO4, Strategy Plan